Focusing on issues affecting civil society, we'll hear from representatives of NGOs, associations, statutory bodies, and non-profit groups.
Good morning, thanks for having this morning. At Orbis, we have a simple belief: protecting vision isn’t just a medical issue; it’s a community responsibility. Every one of us has a part to play in helping others keep sight safe. Today, I’d like to tell you a story - the story of Hong Kong’s aging eyes, and why half of our population may soon face serious vision challenges.
When you think of Hong Kong, what comes to mind? Neon lights, the serene views, the dense forest of skyscrapers. We are a city that sees the world in colour and in movement. But behind that beauty, a silent crisis has been developing among our older population.
In late 2025, Orbis collaborated with the Department of Ophthalmology at HKUMed to release results from the largest community glaucoma-screening project ever done in Hong Kong. The results were a wake-up call, not just for everyone over 50, but for everyone who loves someone over 50.
As we age, our bodies begin to change - gently, and gradually. But within our eyes, something more dangerous starts to happen: the risk of vision-threatening diseases rises sharply after 50.
The three biggest culprits here in Hong Kong are: cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Cataracts are like looking through a frosted dirty window. The world turns cloudy and dim. Thankfully, surgery can restore clear sight.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) attacks your central vision. It’s what you use to read, drive, or recognize a loved one’s face. It may not cause total blindness, but it steals your quality of life.
And then, there’s glaucoma, the silent thief of sight. It creeps in slowly, quietly damaging the optic nerve - the delicate cable that connects the eye to the brain. There’s no pain. No early symptoms. You don’t even know it’s happening… until a quarter of your vision is already gone.
Once those nerve fibers die, they’re gone forever. We can’t bring them back. All we can do is stop more from dying, curb it from getting worse, stop one from becoming blind. For years, we suspected glaucoma was widespread in Hong Kong. But we didn’t know how widespread or common it was - until now.
Over two years, Orbis and HKUMed conducted a project we called Vision Matters. We went into public housing estates, from Southern District, Kwun Tong and Taipo etc, inviting residents aged 50 and above for free, comprehensive eye exams. More than 5,800 people across our city took part.
The results were staggering. We found optic-nerve degeneration in 11.6 percent of participants, and confirmed glaucoma in 6.9 percent of them. For context, that’s higher than previous estimates across the entire Chinese population.
So, what’s going on? Is Hong Kong somehow “sicker”? Not necessarily. In truth, the difference lies in the technology. We were only able to identify these occurrences because of the technology we used. Our study used an AI-powered tool called ROTA to identify at-risk patients. Now, a traditional scan can tell you if your optic nerve - imagine a rope - is getting thinner. But ROTA goes deeper. It shows whether the threads within that rope are beginning to fray. This means it can catch glaucoma damage far earlier, often before patients notice a single symptom.
Currently, if referred to a specialist out-patient clinic, the wait time can be as long as 117 weeks. That is over two years. For glaucoma, two years of waiting means two years of irreversible vision damage.
Here’s how AI integration changes a lot of everything. Because when a doctor spots even the smallest hint of trouble, AI can help flag high-risk patients faster, triage them sooner, push them to the front of the list and make sure they see a specialist in time.
It won’t erase the two-year waiting list overnight, but it could save sight before it’s too late.
Our AI-powered diagnostic system will soon be deployed in Hong Kong West and Kowloon East clusters. And that’s what Orbis does best: bridging innovation and humanity. Around the world, our team ensures that innovation travels faster than distance. The fight against blindness is no longer just about scalpels and predictions. It’s about data and predictions. It’s about catching the thief before it steals your sight.
Through Cybersight AI, a groundbreaking Orbis diagnostic platform, specialist-level eye screening can be “air-dropped” into even the most remote villages. Imagine this: a local nurse in a rural community takes a photo of a patient’s retina. Within seconds, the AI detects early signs of blinding diseases and alerts doctors miles away. That speed and that precision can be the difference between permanent vision loss and a lifetime of sight.
But here’s the truth: technology alone isn’t the hero.
People are. AI is just a tool - one that amplifies the reach of doctors and empowers local health workers. It filters out routine cases, so specialists can focus on the most urgent, life-changing ones.
Yet, even the smartest technology can’t succeed without trust. In Ethiopia, for example, Orbis trains local women as community eye-care workers - women their neighbours already know and trust. In Vietnam, we adapt our workflow to match local customs and patient habits, because technology must fit people, not the other way around.
And through every project, from Hong Kong’s urban neighbourhoods to the world’s most remote corners, one message shines through:
Technology guards vision; trust connects communities.
Together, they build a bridge - from innovation to impact, from city to village, from research to real lives. And that bridge is how Orbis makes sure no one, anywhere in the world, is left in the dark.
We live in a city of dazzling lights. Let's make sure we can all see them, clearly and safely, for years to come.
Hello Hong Kong,
I want to start with something that isn’t easy to hear — but it’s something that needs to be said out loud.
Right now, in our society, there is a silent epidemic. It’s not one you’ll read about in the headlines every day. It doesn’t have a visible symptom or an official cure. But it’s affecting our children — our sons, our daughters, our students, our neighbours.
I’m talking about child sexual abuse.
Imagine this: one in every six children will experience it in some form before the age of eighteen. That’s more than 16%. It means in a classroom of thirty students, five could be carrying this trauma, quietly.
We often imagine abuse as something that happens “somewhere else,” to “someone else,” by “a stranger in the dark.” But the truth is far more painful: 93% of abusers are known to their victims — often trusted friends, relatives, or people in positions of power.
This is not somebody else’s problem. It’s happening here. It’s happening now.
I know this because I lived it.
My name is Taura Edgar, and I am a survivor of incest. My childhood was stolen by the person who should have protected me. It took me decades to find the courage to tell my story, because for so long, I believed the silence kept me safe. But actually, it only protected my abuser.
When I finally spoke, I realized the heartbreaking reality — I wasn’t alone. Far from it.
In Hong Kong, an estimated 96% of cases of child sexual abuse go unreported. That means for every child brave enough to speak, there are many more who remain silent — living with fear, confusion, and shame that isn’t theirs to carry.
We often say to children, “Speak up. Say no. Protect yourself.”
But how can an eight-year-old distinguish manipulative grooming from kindness? How can a ten-year-old challenge someone they love or depend on?
It’s not fair to put that weight on a child’s shoulders. It’s our responsibility - as the adults in their world — to protect them before they ever have to protect themselves.
That’s why I founded TALK Hong Kong — to build awareness with our research, to help adults learn how to prevent abuse and as a safe spaces for adults to talk about what’s often left unsaid.
And everyone, truly everyone, has a role to play. Here’s where you can start — right now.
1. Ask questions.
If you’re a parent or caregiver — ask every school, activity centre, and after-school program what safeguarding policies they have in place. Who oversees child protection? How do they train staff? A good organisation will always welcome these questions.
2. Educate yourself.
Abuse doesn’t always look the way we think it does. Learn to spot the signs. Don’t assume “it can’t happen here.” It can happen anywhere there is opportunity and silence.
3. Create safe spaces.
Children need to know they can talk about anything with you — without fear, without shame. You can start small: ask gentle questions like, “Did anything today make you feel weird?” Teach body boundaries. Make consent part of everyday conversation.
And remember — if a child tells you something that worries you, don’t panic, don’t overreact. Just listen. Stay calm. Your reaction in that moment will shape whether that child ever speaks again.
4. Get comfortable with discomfort.
Talking about abuse is hard. It’s emotional. It’s confronting. But that discomfort is the cost of awareness — and it’s a small price to pay if it keeps even one child safe.
5. Start the conversation.
Tell five people what you’ve learned today — maybe friends over coffee, colleagues at work, your children’s teachers. The more we talk, the less power silence holds.
You don’t need to be an expert to make a difference. You just need to care — and to act.
When I began this work, I thought my story was about surviving the past. But now I see, it’s about building a future — one where every child knows their body belongs to them, their voice matters, and the adults in their lives will stand up for them.
We can’t erase the harm already done, but we can stop history from repeating itself. We can teach empathy instead of fear, action instead of silence, and awareness instead of ignorance.
Each of us has a circle of influence — in our families, workplaces, and communities. Imagine what could happen if every one of us made children’s safety a shared responsibility.
Because this isn’t just about protection. It’s also about healing.
When children grow up feeling safe, believed, and loved — they thrive. They learn to trust the world again. And that trust spreads outward — shaping kinder families, stronger communities, and a more compassionate Hong Kong.
So today, I invite you to talk. To listen. To learn.
And most importantly, to act.
Together, we can end the silence.
Together, we can protect every child.
Together, we can make sure no child ever walks this road alone again.
